Quilting Day

Yesterday was the first March meeting day for The King's Quilters. We meet twice a month and some months it seems soooo long between those two meetings. I treasure the sweet fellowship, the advice and encouragement, and the opportunity to quilt without thinking about dirty baseboards in the downstairs bathroom!

We were few in number this meeting -- One friend, having just shed her crutches, went to visit a grand baby instead of quilting. Can you imagine that! lol Two more regulars were AWOL, and we don't know why. Hope all is well with them.

I was quilting on the little quilt that I've been working on for some time. It will be my finished product for March, and is intended for the babies at the Pregnancy Help Center. I made it from 2" squares and frankly, I don't like doing a whole top in pieces that size. If one gets out of adjustment, just a little bit, they bump into their neighbors and pretty soon a whole row is being rowdy and misbehaving! But, it used a lot of scraps and the pattern is really pretty. I first saw the pattern at Barb's Quilt Nook, in Kingsland, TX, which is one of my favorite quilt shops. I sketched it out and decided I could make that, and, I did! Barb had another version of the same pattern hanging last time I visited her shop. It was done in red and black and looked totally different! Very versatile pattern.

Our quilting group has several members who have reached lofty ages. One of them seems to be slowly fading before our eyes. She doesn't get to come very often, due to her health, but daughter brought her for a short visit yesterday. What a joy to sit and talk to her -- she is an amazing quilter and just a lovely person. Daughter is feeling heavy stress from all the care-giving responsibilities that have landed on her shoulders in recent months. I cautioned her that caregivers have to take care of themselves, also. It is so important!

We all took turns sitting and visiting with this lovely person and it made me think -- while we may lose her to the ravages of illness and age -- there are other people in our lives who also could be taken from us at any time, without warning. Have we visited with them? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our busy lives that we forget to share ourselves with friends and family until it is too late. Even if baseboards do get dusty, it is important to open our hearts and lives to our loved ones, and visit with them while we are able.